England’s big all-nighter! Pubs will be open until 5am on Monday as the nation prepares for a working week with next to no sleep
Pubs will be allowed to stay open until 5am on Monday after the Prime Minister’s late U-turn.
Football fans in England and Wales will be able to drink extra for hours during England’s last 16 match against Mexico, kicking off at 1am UK time.
Ministers initially refused to relax licensing laws but Keir Starmer, in a rare popular U-turn, said pubs could remain open until the final whistle.
The Ministry of Internal Affairs will introduce an urgent change in the law this morning. Sir Keir said: ‘Football may come home but we’re making sure fans don’t have to.
‘Pubs staying open until final whistle is good news for fans and good news for the pubs and venues that bring our communities together.’
The Home Office had relaxed licensing laws ahead of the World Cup due to irregular kick-off but failed to take any action for 1am matches such as England’s make-or-break showdown against Mexico in the host nation’s capital.
Instead, individual pubs had to apply to local councils for an Interim Activity Notice, but most were told they had missed the deadline following Wednesday’s win against the Democratic Republic of Congo.
The Daily Mail understands the Home Office initially resisted calls from within the government to change licensing hours on Sunday night due to concerns about the impact on already struggling police forces.
Fans across the UK are gearing up for a big night out after it was announced pubs could stay open until 5am on Monday
This means fans can watch every minute of the match on the big screen with a drink in their hand
Sir Keir Starmer moves to force a rare popular U-turn on his leadership
But the football-loving Prime Minister has implemented the change in a bid to secure a legacy before leaving No 10.
A government source admitted: ‘To be honest we probably did this a little too late; It’s basically impossible to get anything done in government in half a day.’
Amid accusations that the Home Office was acting like the ‘fun police’, the department eventually relented and allowed Downing Street to get the ball over the line.
However, fears remain that the police will not be able to implement and implement the plans in such a short time; A source admitted there was “no major interaction” with police forces ahead of the last-minute license change.
Political pressure for change began to come from parties across the spectrum, including supporters of the Labor Party.
Luke Charter, Outer MP for York, said: ‘Labour can show that we are a party that supports places that bring people together. Let’s make this happen right before a big moment!’
Reform England’s Robert Jenrick described yesterday’s confusion as ‘ridiculous’ and demanded: ‘Issue a decree that all pubs in the country can stay open until late on Monday.
‘This has been done before. ‘Stop being a spoilsport and get behind England.’
Conservative MP Louie French said the announcement was the ‘least’ Downing Street could do for pubs after two years of pressure [them] With Labour’s tax increases’.
Fans in North America will have to make the trip to Mexico to see England take on the hallowed Azteca Stadium
They hope Harry Kane can repeat his heroics and take England to the quarter-finals.
Even as England fans face the prospect of heading to work on Monday on just a few hours of sleep, Downing Street has told parents to ignore manager Thomas Tuchel’s unruly advice for children.
At a press conference following the thrilling 2-1 win against the Democratic Republic of Congo, Tuchel said parents should ‘make an excuse for school and let them watch football’.
‘There are a lot of schools to go to, but the World Cup is held every four years. Let them watch… and we need the support of everyone, especially the children.’ But Sir Keir’s spokesman rejected the suggestion, saying: ‘Children should be at school on Monday.’
Education Minister Bridget Phillipson added: ‘Children should be at school the next day.’
For adult fans, the Government is recommending a ‘Sunday disco nap’ to ensure they can ‘get back to work the next day’.
Downing Street added that Sir Keir “faces the same dilemma as everyone else about whether to survive”.
Emma McClarkin, chief executive of the British Beer and Pub Association, said: ‘This tournament is hugely important for our industry, so we’re pleased the Government listened to our concerns and acted so quickly.’
Michael Kill, chief executive of the Night Time Industries Association, added: ‘This pragmatic approach allows venues to focus on what matters most – bringing communities together to support the national team.’
It came as British businesses braced for a ‘mass sickening event’ on Monday morning as tearful workers slept.
The AA said: ‘If fans are staying up until almost 3am or even 4am to watch the game… they need to think carefully about how to get through Monday morning safely.’
